Bold headline: Airbus to inspect some A320s for a supplier quality issue with panels, signaling a broader, cautious safety drive.
Airbus has disclosed that an unspecified portion of its aircraft will undergo inspections after a supplier-related quality problem affecting metal panels on certain A320 family jets was identified.
The issue, described by the company as affecting a limited number of aircraft, follows soon after thousands of A320s were grounded for an urgent software update. On Tuesday, Airbus stated it would take a conservative approach by inspecting every potentially affected aircraft, even though not all will require repairs.
Airbus told AFP that roughly 600 A320s could be affected, though the company did not confirm this exact figure to the BBC.
According to a spokesperson, the source of the problem has been identified, contained, and all newly produced panels meet all requirements. The spokesperson added that only inspections will determine whether an aircraft has panels with quality issues and what corrective action, if any, is necessary.
AFP cited Airbus as saying the number of planes requiring inspection is shrinking as inspections progress, helping to pinpoint which units need specific actions.
The BBC has reached out to major A320 operators for comment, including British Airways, American Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa, and Delta.
Earlier this week, thousands of Airbus jets were grounded due to a software update after it was found that intense solar radiation could interfere with onboard flight-control computers. The issue emerged when one aircraft en route from the United States to Mexico suddenly lost altitude, injuring 15 people.
This event prompted one of the aviation industry’s largest recalls, with more than 6,000 Airbus aircraft requiring emergency computer updates. The disruption led to widespread flight cancellations during a peak travel period around the Thanksgiving holidays in the United States.
Airbus shares have declined by more than 6.5% over the past five trading days as investors weigh the impact of these consecutive safety issues and recalls.
